The use of signaling devices is a time honored practice in both military and civilian based endeavors. In particular, over the centuries, maritime, aviation, and terrestrial expeditions have carried various items intended to enhance their detection and subsequent recovery in the event of an experienced emergency. Such things as smoke generating devices, dyes, flares, and radio broadcasting equipment have all been standard components of emergency and signaling equipment for decades.
Typically, however, these various items and techniques suffer from drawbacks which result in them being ineffective, inefficient, and/or burdensome. Conventional dye and smoke devices have a reputation of being highly transient forms of signaling due to their inherent dissipative nature. Flares and radio equipment suffer from numerous inefficiencies and burdens due to such things as their high cost, limited signal duration, limited lifetime in wet and corrosive environments, and/or their cumbersome configurations.
In the past few decades there have been efforts made to produce effective, efficient, and easily transportable devices for use when an emergency or other situation that requires signaling occurs. However, these conventional devices have been unable to adequately balance the requirements of high detectability, efficiency, transportability, and cost. For example, satellite based radio wave systems have been utilized which have not only a high cost associated with them, but require continuous ongoing maintenance to ensure their reliability. In addition, even when a general location is known based on the use of these systems, the actual recovery of equipment or personnel by recovery teams may be delayed due to the fact that these systems do not allow for differentiation from the terrain in which the equipment or personnel are present.
Furthermore, signaling devices associated with military based operations have been increasingly studied. In particular, reliable signaling or marking devices that allow for the detection of designated targets exclusively by select observers has been a desired mission parameter. For example, military missions often require that personnel, distressed vessels, stray equipment, munitions, targets, and/or other items or persons can be readily recognized separately and distinct from a visual and/or other electromagnetic background in which they are embedded or otherwise associated. Conventional marking or designation techniques and equipment have had limited success in balancing the requirements of high selective detectability, efficiency, dependability, and transportability.